Preparing for quit day

There's no easy way to quit smoking. But planning for it can help you overcome the hurdles you're likely to face. Here are steps you can take as you prepare for your quit day:

Mark the day. Make a big notation of your quit day on your calendar. It's an important day in your life, so treat it like one.

Talk to your health care provider. If you haven't talked to your doctor or health care provider yet about quitting smoking, do so now. Ask about stop-smoking counseling and medications. Using either counseling or medication improves your odds of success. And combining them is even more effective. If you'll be using the prescription medication bupropion (Zyban) or varenicline (Chantix), you should start the medication at least a week or two before your quit day to give it time to begin working.

Tell people. Let family, friends and co-workers know about your quit day. Make them your allies. They can provide moral support. But tell them how they can be most supportive of your effort to quit smoking, so they are helpful and not just nagging.

Clean house. Rid your home, car, office and other places of your past smoking and tobacco supplies. Don't keep any cigarettes on hand "just in case" — you might not be able to resist the temptation. Also, consider getting your teeth professionally cleaned as motivation to stay quit.

Stock up. Have on hand items that can substitute for the cigarette you're used to having in your mouth, such as sugarless gum, hard candy, cinnamon sticks and crunchy vegetables.

Join up. The more support you have, the more likely you are to stop smoking successfully. Find local quit-smoking support groups. Many hospitals and clinics offer classes or groups. You can join online quit-smoking groups or programs. You can even get applications for your phone text messages or alerts to help you quit. Every state and many employers have a telephone quit line with professional coaches to help you develop your quit plan and support you through the process. Call 800-784-8669 (800-QUIT-NOW).

Reflect. If you've tried to quit smoking before, but took it up again, think about what challenges you faced and why you started again. What worked and what didn't? Think about what you can do differently this time. For example, make a list of your triggers and how you will deal with them. Keeping a journal about your quit-smoking efforts may help you monitor feelings and situations that ignite your smoking urges.

Handling quit day

Getting through your quit day can be emotionally and physically challenging, especially if strong tobacco cravings strike. Try these tips to help manage your quit day:

Staying quit

With a quit-smoking plan to guide you, you'll have resources that you can lean on when you quit smoking. The more resources you have in place — support groups, nicotine replacement, medications, coaching — the more likely you are to quit and stay quit.

Cooper J, et al. To what extent do smokers make spontaneous quit attempts and what are the implications for smoking cessation maintenance? Findings from the International Tobacco Control Four country survey. Nicotine and Tobacco Research. 2010;12(suppl):S51.

Legal Conditions and Terms

Reprint Permissions

A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.org," "Mayo Clinic Healthy Living," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.